Hello Dear Rose Friends,

Another week of mild weather and an intense rain event late last week has meant our roses are recovering from recent severe frosts which meant we had to do significant trimming so they’re now ready to flower.

Be sure to plan a visit to Clonbinane in coming weeks where you’ll be greeted with the most glorious fragrances as you alight from your vehicle … the flowering roses will have you spell-bound but it’s most definitely the fragrance that delights!

Our friend Ken from Seasonal Concepts at Whiteheads Creek (Tallarook) has his NEW rose “Starry, Starry White” in the trials and we have an un-named rose there too … it’s all very exciting and we’ll keep you posted as this progresses! Speaking of Seasonal Concepts, get yourself organized for a day-trip to our region on the weekend of 16th and 17th November when Ken would love you to come and pick bunches of roses with him – a most entertaining and beautiful experience. Of course, we’ll be flowering by then too and The General Store at Strath Creek where you’ll get the best coffee, most hospitable country service and amazing food is between us and Ken’s place – a most relaxing day out with all the very best we have to offer in our region just one hour from Melbourne! HAVE A GIGGLE ... Q. Why is grass so dangerous? A. Because it's full of blades. WATERING YOUR GARDEN THIS SUMMER ... It’s a huge question, “Do I install an irrigation system?” … see our communication with Di in NSW … Hi guys, as you know we have moved and I have put in a new garden packed with roses. I am writing to ask about the drip system of irrigation, in particular, the length of time to leave the system dripping for roses. We have never had irrigation before, I've always watered by hand. So, I'm unsure of the optimal length of time and number of days a week to leave the drips on. Our climate is cool but it does get hot in summer and some roses are in the afternoon sun. I would appreciate any tips on using this system. Thanks again for your beautiful roses they are all thriving in our new climate being not quite so harsh as further west in NSW. All the best … Di MY RESPONSE … You actually have a very similar weather pattern to us here – very cold winter, very hot summer. It’s a great idea to install irrigation as we get older, I guess – all that lugging hoses around the yard gets to become a chore. I’m not ready YET to go automated because in the areas where we (still) have irrigation systems, they’re pretty much useless – No. 1 because I always refused to put mulch OVER the pipe so after lengthy exposure, those pipes would burst and No. 2 because if there was mulch over the pipe, you could bet your bottom dollar that when you were weeding or planting something new in that garden bed, yes, you’d hit the pipe with a fork and incur another repair job!!! Interestingly, when we pulled irrigation pipe out of one garden recently because that bed was being ‘renovated’ after 15 years, it was a sight to behold with massive numbers of shrubblers/drippers hanging off it and an amazing number of repair joints … think of the environmental cost, let alone the actual $$’s spent with installation, repair, etc. I think, if you’re going to instal an irrigation system for your entire garden, it should be done professionally, as one of our original systems was and it should be installed in a garden where no ongoing maintenance is required. So, that irrigated garden would never need to be weeded with forks or new plants added, etc. I did my apprenticeship as a plumber more than 65 years ago and believe me, it’s no fun fixing irrigation stuff-ups!!! Meantime, I think I’ll just keep 30metre hoses at strategic points around the garden and set up one of my favourite sprinklers … see pic attached Once a system is installed you should follow instructions on how long the system should run – we highly recommend deep soaking at each watering interval rather than short cycles of watering every day because roses are deep-rooted and the water needs to soak down to their root zone in order to keep them healthy and prolific. It’s very important that you consult with the installer on this issue – so very easy to set up timers to run water every day – meantime, you’re paying the bill and your plants are probably going to pay the price! We’ve been very lucky in many parts of Australia that we’ve had abundant rainfall for quite a few years but when that rain doesn’t happen, remember that for our gardens, water is our most precious resource and we all need to be very responsible and practice diligent watering! We believe it’s going to be a hot summer so watering our roses will be an important part of garden maintenance in months to come. Hope you get something sorted for your new garden – best wishes from us here at Clonbinane. HAVE A GIGGLE ... Q. What do you get if you cross a four-leaf clover with poison ivy? A. A rash of good luck! SPECIAL OFFER THIS WEEK … When you purchase ANY THREE ROSES, GET ONE FREE* FOUR lovely, almost flowering roses, delivered to your door plus pack and post.* Have a truly happy week in your garden … cheers from Gra, Diana, Mooi and the team here at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane …